Time fuse



U. PANIGATI'I TIME FUSE Filed June 9. 1924 2 Sheets- Sheet April 14,1925. 1,533,756

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April 14,1925. H 1,533,756

U. PANIGATTI TIME FUSE Filed June 9, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 atentetlApr. 14, 1925,

UM BERTO PANIGATTI, F BRESCEA, ITALY, ASSIGNOR T0 METALLURGICALBRESCIANA GIA TEIYIE'INI, 0E BRE'SCIA, ITALY, A CORPORATIGN OF ITALY.

- TIME Application filed June 9,

To all whom may, concern:

Be it known that I, UMBERTO PANIGATTI, a subject of the King of Italy,residing at Brescia Italy; iave invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Time Fuses; of which the following is a specifica tion.

The present invention relates to time fuses for projectiles in which thedelay powder pellet is divided into two or more movable rings.

The present invention has for its object means for looking with the:tusebody one or each of the said rings alter the first one,

' until after the rin recedin it has completed its full adjustingmovement,

In the annexed drawing is shown by way of example an embodiment of thepresent invention and Figure 1 is a central section of the fuseaccording to the present invention on line 11 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1 seen from top;

Figure l is a section on line 33 of Figure 1, seen from bot-tom. v

As shown on the drawing, with particular reference to Figures 1 and 2,the fuse comprises a plug 1 intended to be screwed in the mouth of theprojectile and having a core 2 on which is located the ogival cap 3. Ina top chamber of the core 2 is mounted to move the hammer pellet 4 whichis locked by a pin 5 engaged in a sleeve l0 abutting on the top surfaceof said core, said pin 5 being intended to be sheared at the time theshot is fired; said hammer pellet has a detonator opposite a firing in 7and ports 8 are provided around said firing pin for the transmission ofthe flame to the powder delay pellet, as hereinafter described. Thehammer pellet is driven against said fiing pin 7 at the time of firingthe shot by its momentum and spring 41.

On the core2 are rotatable rings 9-10- 11 1213, each of which has on itslower face an annular slot 15 leaving an uncut or solid portion 16, andcommunicating with a port 17 opening on the top face of the ring; saidslot is filled in with a powder delay pellet 1-2 and is covered by acloth washer 1d ailixed on the ring surface said washer being assumed tobe removed in Fig-- FUSE.

1924. Serial 310 718,897.

ure The top ring 9 has a further port 18 connecting its slot 15 with agroove 43 in which open ports 8 01 the detonator chamber, and the plug 1has a port 19 opening in the chamber of the firing charge 20 which isclosed by a perforated disk let; the ports 17 and 19 are made in suchposition as to-register with the slot 15 of the respective adjacent ringand enclose delay powder pellets 1516.

Each ring is further provided on a face with a slot 21 having the sameangular extent as that of 15A and on its opposite face lay powderpellets contained in ports 17;

which are registering with each other and passes to powder pellet-l6 ofport 19 and to 7 charge chamber 20; the projectile explosion is thusobtained with minimum delay.

On the contrary when the rings have been rotated with respect to eachother to carry the port 1'? of each of them in register with a point ofthe slot 15 of the adjacent ring more or less distant from therespective port 17, the flame is propagated along the delay powderpellet as of the respective slot 15 and thus the flame path is madelonger to a more or less large extent and acorresponding delay in theprojectile explosion is ob tained.

By this arrangement the flame path may be made long and a long pellet oflive-con bustion powder may be used, this enabling to adjust in a morecorrect manner the firing delay and to obtain a safe and satisfactorycombustion under all circumstances.

Further as the ports 17 and slots 15 have the same position in alltherings and the flame path in each slot 15 is interrupted, the flameproceeds in the same direction in all the rings and thus is madepossible to ar-- range the delay powder pellets in such a manner as theflame proceeds in all the rings in a d'rection opposed that of therotation of the projectile and fuse in their path;

such a feature has been found of the utmost importance in securing aneven and safe combustion of the powder pellets under allv circumstances.

The fuse may be adjusted by hand by rotating the ring 9 with respect tothe plug 1; the several rings are thus progressively carried inoperative condition because after the topring 9 has been rotated withrespect to the adjacent ring 10 through an angular extent correspondingwith its slot 15, the

stud 22. of the ring 10 is engaged by the end wall of the slot 21 of thering 9 and this ring, on being further acted on moves in rotation thering 10 and puts in opera- 'tive condition the powder pellet located inits respective slot 15.

The same operation takes place i'n respect of other rings alter each ofthem has completed a rotation through the angular extent of its slot 21,

until all the powder pellets contained in thei-rslots 15' have beencarried in the flame path and thus the maximum delay is obta-ined.

To prevent each ring from being driven by friction or on account ofother reasons, by

the preceding-ring before this latter has completed its rotation, duringthe described adjusting operation, the rin 's following the ring9*having the driving, tnd 2a are eugaged' with the stationary fuse bodyby means of engaging neans wnich are put out of operation when thedriving ring has completed its operation and the following ring mustbegin to be driven.

For such. a purpose in the embodiment illustrated the centralstationa:yv sleeve 2 has a longitudinal slot 47 and each ringhas arecessAS'having a slope bottom 49; said recess-i8 of each ring is inregister with said slot 47' when the rings are in zero position asshown; by Figure 1, that is with. their ports 17 in line witheach other.

In the space provided by the registering recess 48 ofeach ring and sloti? is located a lockingball 50 which is held in position by the lowersurface of the ring above it.

1,- that is-each ball 50is'held by theover ying ring-in: a position toengage the respective ringonthe stationary central sleeve.

When'the fuse is ac usted by rotating the first ring 9, the second ring10. islockedon the" sleeve 2 by its ball oObut as soon as the end of theslot 21 of the ring 9 comes in engagement WU'll the stud 22 of the ring10 and the space 51 of the ring 9 comes to register with the ball 50 ofthe ringlO, this ball isleft free to rise and under the action of theslope d9 of the recess 48 of the ring 10, which ring tends to move inrotation ;with the ring 9 driving it, said ball 50 is caused to enterthe space 510i the ring 9 V and leaves the ring lOfrce to rotate.

'5 he same operation occurs at the end of the rotation of the ring 10when this latter must drive the following ring 11 and thus it isobtained that the several rings are locked with the use body and aretime they must move.

llfhat I claimv as my invention and desire to secure by United StatesLetters Patent is V p l. A time fuse comprising a supporting member,firing-means in said member, a plurality of adjustable rings on saidmember, a delay pellet of live combustion powcer in each of said ringsand means for adjusting the length or" path of the flamefrom-said'firing. means through said delay pellets, the iiamepropagationtaking place in the same direction in all said rings,

released at the said" direction aeingopposed to that 01 the rotation offuse and PIOJQCtllQ carrying it in their path.

2. A time fuse'comorisin a sunoortin b l L 0 member, nri 21g means insaid :iember, a first ring rotatable on said member, a'delay powderpellet in said ring and adapted to rings rotatable on said member and adelay powder pellet in each ring, the said delay powder pellets'bein'gadapted to c'ommuni cate with each other an adjustable point of theirextent, a nd cooperating means on said rings for making" each of themsolid with that intermediate it and said firing' ring rotatable on saidmember, said ring; having an interrupted slot and. a throughout portconnected with said firing means and slot a dela aowder iellet in saidslotand ort other rin s rotatable on said sun aort' 7 C? .L e

communicate with said firing means, other 111g" member and each having athroughout 7 port and an interrupted slot connected therewith, delaypowder pellet in said ports and slots of'said rings, the said delaypowder pellets of said ports and slots of said rings being adapted to'iegist'er with each' other at acjustable points of'their extents, andcooperating means on said rings" for making each of them solid with thatintermediate itj-andsaid firing means after the last named intermediatering has been rotated to carry entirely its delay powder pellet in thepath of the flame from said firing means 4,. A time fuse comprising asupporting member, firing means 111 said member, a first ring rotatableon said supporting member, a

delay powder pellet in said ring, a series of rings rota-table on saidsupporting member, a delay powder pellet in each of said rings, meansfor moving in succession said rings to adjust the length of the flamepath from said firing means through said powder pellets, said supportingmember and each ring of said series having recesses providing ring onthe last named ring being engaged by the preceding one.

A time fuse, comprising, a supporting member, firing means in saidmember, a first ring rotatable on said supporting member a delay powderpellet in said ring, a series of rings rotatable on said supportingmember, a delay powder pellet in each of said rin 's, cooperating meanson said rings to cause each of them to engage that following it in theflame path after the said delay powder pellet of each ring has beencarried entirely into operative condition, said supporting member andone of said rings of said series having recesses to register with eachother to provide a chamber, a ball in said chamber locking said recessedring with said supporting member, means in said chamber for ejectingsaid ball therefrom, the ring preceding said recessed ring having adepressed portion to register with said chamber when said preceding ringhas been moved through its entire possible turning movement to receivesaid ball and release said recessed ring locked thereby,

6. A time fuse, comprising, a supporting member, firing means in saidmember, a

first ring rotatable on said supporting memher, a delay powder pellet insaid ring, a series of rings rotatable on said supporting member, adelay powder pellet in each of said rings ofsaid series, cooperatingmeans on said rings to cause each of them to engage that following it inthe flame path after the said delay powder pellet of each ring has beencarried entirely into operative condition, said supporting member andeach of said rings of said series having recesses intended to registerwith each other to provide a chamber for each of said rings, a ball ineach chamber locking its respective ring with said supporting member,means in each chamber to eject said ball therefrom, each ring having adepressed portion to register with said chamber of the following ringwhen said ring has been moved through its entire possible turningmovement, to receive said ball locking said'following ring and releasethe last named rin 7. A time fuse, comprising, a supporting member,firingmeans in said member, a first ring rotatable on said supportingmember, a delay powder pellet in said ring, a series of rings rotatableon said supporting member, a delay powder pellet in each of said rings,cooperating means on said rings to cause each of them to engagethatfollowing it in the flame path after the said delay powder pellet ofeach ring has been carried entirely into operative condition, saidsupporting member and one of said rings of said series having recessescooperating with each other to provide a chamber, a ball in said chamberlocking said recessed ring with said supporting member, the ringpreceding said recessed ring having a depressed portion to register withsaid chamber when said preceding ring has been moved through its entirepossible turning movement, the recess in said recessed ring having aninclined surface acting to shift said ball into said hollow on saidrecessed ring being moved into rotation, to release said recessed ringfrom said supporting member;

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

UMBERTO PANIGATTI.

